“Just Keep Going” Clash Meets Blu De Tiger

Breakout New York on viral fame, social media, and the bass guitar...

“Satisfying and exhilarating,” is how New York based multi-hyphenate Blu DeTiger describes her journey so far.

One of the fastest-breaking artists around at the moment, Blu )who already has viral hit 'Figure It Out' to her name) made productive use of the pandemic to work on her debut EP 'How Did We Get Here?', reflecting her ambitious but introspective personality with crystal-clear perfection.

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Never content to put out music that doesn’t hold to her standard of perfection, the singer-songwriter explained that EP has been in the works for a long time. She says: “Though I wrote a lot of them during the quarantine, a few of them were written around two years ago. It was a long process and there was a lot of thoughtfulness that went into everything.”

About the lyrical inspiration behind it she says: “The EP is a reflection of me. The lyrics are therefore a mix of me trying to figure out how I feel, of what I'm seeing in the world. In a lot of the songs, I talk about memories that I've have and things that I miss,” she continued,” I’m describing the scene and giving the listeners a view into my world. For example in a song like 'Nightshade' I’m describing a particular moment in time but in some other I’m being nostalgic and reflective.”

Having been written over a long period of time, the EP not only a lyrical journey rooted in the pause the world has experienced in the past, but also a perfect representation of Blu’s growth and evolution as an artist.

Speaking of how her sound changed, she comments: “The sound throughout the EP has changed a little bit, especially since I've been finding my voice and my production style as well. I actually produced a lot of the tracks on the EP and a few of them were like literally just me and my brother working at my home studio setup in New York.”

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Besides working on her own music, Blu who had already been gaining attention on TikTok prior to the pandemic, made full use of the platform as a means of creative and personal motivation during the lockdown.

She explains: ”I got home when the pandemic started from this tour that I was supposed to go on that obviously got cancelled. By then I’d already started posting on TikTok and getting a good response. I think that that really kept me motivated, it gave me something to do every day. It sounds silly but I’m super grateful that I had that platform because it gave me a purpose and I also saw that it was helping other people.”

“I was getting comments like “these are making my day” and it made me so happy and motivated me to wake up every day, get out of my pyjamas put on an outfit and makeup, learn a song and post it.” Fan support has been really special to Blu, she adds: “I got recognised on the street the other day by a fan which special to me. It was a really sweet thing to like actually see someone's face that has been like affected by my music.”

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Delving into the important role played by social media in building this relationship, she says:

“I check my DMs every day and try to reply to everyone and also have this texting app called Community where fans can reach out to me. Just as much as that's helpful for like fans, it honestly helps me so much to do it. Reading their messages and connecting with them on social media keeps me going. Their support has not only kept me sane but also gave me more confidence when I went to write and produce my own stuff because of the positive reinforcement and feedback.”

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In return for inspiring her, 21-year-old bass virtuoso – who began playing the instrument at age of seven, fact fans – wants to give back inspiration to those around her who want to learn bass, I want to inspire the next generation to pick up an instrument and follow their passion.”

Describing herself as a true New York girl, Blu DeTiger explains that she is content to hustle and work towards her dreams. This is also the advice she passes on to other aspiring musicians; “Just keep going. Everyone has their own path but if you're really passionate about it, and you work hard and practice you’re going to get there eventually.”

Female bass players are rare, but with a determination to succeed and the ability to remind listeners just how fun the bass can be, Blu is paving the way for others. Taking up a key role in the new music pantheon, she's quickly establishing herself as a breakout star headed for big things.

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Words: Malvika Padin
Photo Credit: Tsarina Merrin

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